Photographic attachment for firearms



C O PALMER PHOTOGRAPHIC ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS Flled Aprll 27, 1945 Y W /J /6 /4 March 4, 1947.

r Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side I vational view of the trigger, and

Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITED ST OFFlC PHGTOGRAPHIC ATTACHlWENT FOR FIREARMS 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to newand useful improvements in photographic attachments for firearms, and more particularly to the provision of a camera mounted at the muzzle of the firearm and operatively connected with the trigger to actuate the shutter of the camera so that a photograph of the object or target fired at will be taken when the firearm is fired.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a camera attachment for firearms of this character embodying means to disconnect the shutter-actuating mechanism upon the firing of the firearm so that a second exposure of the film cannot be made until after the film has been wound or otherwise moved to bring the subsequent film into position for another exposure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a camera attachment for firearms of this character in which the camera may be operated for taking a picture independently of the firing of the firearm.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture'and install in operative position upon a conventional firearm without necessitating any material changes or alterations in the construction thereof, and

which at the same time will not act as an impediment in the use of the firearm; and also in which the device is otherwise well adapted for the-purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view. Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the trigger-actuated, camera-operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a, longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one of the connecting plates of the camera-operating mechanism.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the other of said plates.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the camera. ele- Figure 9 is an end elevational View of the trigger.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a firearm of conventional construction, such as a rifle or the like, and including a trigger E and trigger guard I. The trigger is of a sectional construction and includes an upper trigger section 8 and a lower trigger section 9 connected to each other by front and rear pins I0 and II. By removing the front pin Ill, the lower trigger section 9 may pivot on the rear pin without actuating the upper trigger section 8, whereby the lower trigger section 9 may be moved forwardly and backwardly without firing the gun. The upper trigger section is the part which controls the hammer mechanism and the same is made operative by replacing the pin HJ.

A cord or other flexible member I2 is attached at one end to the lower end of the lower trigger section 9 and extends upwardly through an opening I3 in the guard 1 into the bottom of a housing I l secured to a side of the firearm immediately forwardly of the trigger, as indicated in Figure 1 of the drawing.

The cord I2 is attached to a bell crank lever I5 pivoted on a pin IS in the housing l4, one arm of the bell crank lever extending upwardly, as indicated at IT, and being connected to a plate I 8 by means of a rearwardly extending bracket I 9 carried by the plate and a link 2|) pivotally connecting the bracket to the upper end I! of the bell crank lever.

The plate I8 is slidably mounted between the legs of a U-shaped plate 2| which has its rear end open, the plate It being urged forwardly in the plate 2| by means of a coil spring 22 positioned between the rear end of the housing I 4 and the rear end of the plate I8.

A coil sprin 23 is also attached at one end to the front end of the plate 2| and to the front end of the casing It to yieldably urge the plate 2| forwardly.

The plates I8 and 2| are slidably mounted on guide pins 24 extending transversely in the housing I 4 and also between upstanding posts 25 rising from the bottom of the housing at opposite sides of the plate 2|.

The plates I3 and 2| are provided with aligned vertical slots 26 and 21, respectively, extending upwardly from the lower edge ofthe plate and in which a transversely extending locking pin 28 is received for connecting the plates for movement as a unit.

The locking pin 28 is yieldably urged downwardly out of position in the slots 26 and 21 by means of a coil spring 29 connecting the middle portion of the locking pin to the bottom of the housing I4 and the locking pin is releasably retained in its uppermost position in the slots 26 and 21 by means of a pair of leaf springs 30 secured at one end to a cross-pin 3| carried at its ends on opposite side walls of the housing and said springs extending upwardly and rearwardly at the opposite sides of the plate 2| with the rear ends of the leaf springs disposed just sufficiently under the locking pin to support the latter in its raised position, as shown to advantage in Figure 2 of the drawing.

The springs 3|] may be moved upwardly out of engagement with the locking pin by means of a pair of flexible members 32 attached at their lower ends to the springs adjacent the free end portions thereof and connected at their upper ends to a rod 33 projecting upwardly through the top of the housing I l and provided with a fingergripping knob 34 for raising the springs 30 upwardly out of engagement with the locking pin.

This release of the springs 30 from the locking pin 28 is readily effected. by the upward pull of the rod 33 because said springs are thereby flexed and forced out of their engagement with the pin.

A supporting yoke 35 is mounted at the upper end of a pin 36 slidably mounted in the bottom of the housing It and is adapted to support the pin 28 in the upper end thereof when the pin drops downwardly below the plates l8 and 2|.

A pair of tracks 31 are secured to the opposed longitudinal side walls of the housing l4 and in wh ch the ends of the locking n 28 are adapted to slide during the rearward sliding movement of the plates l8 and 2!, sa d tracks being positioned just slightly rearward of the locking pin in its normal raised position.

A cord or other flexible member 38 is attached to the front end of the plate 2| and extends forward y through the housin M in a guide 39 attach d to the barrel 4!) of the firearm and is connected to the shutter-actuating mechanismoi a conventional form of camera 4| under a pulley 42 attached to the outside of the camera for actuating the shutter upon a rearward pulling movement of the cord or cable 38. The camera is secured to the front end of the barrel by means of clips or the like 43.

A drum M is rotatably mounted in the housing l4 adjacent its upper front portion, the drum being actuated by means of a knob 45 on the outside of the housing for winding a cord or other flexible member 46 thereon, the cord extending to a drum 4? at the side of the camera for actuating the film-winding spool of the camera in a manner to bring successive portions of the film into position for exposure.

In the operation of the device with the cord I2 attached to the lower section 9 of the trigger 6 and with the cord 38 connecting the plate 2| to the shutter-actuating mechanism of the camera, the locking pin 28 is moved upwardly into normal raised position in slots 26 and 21 of the plates I8 and 2!, respectively, and is held in its uppermost position by the springs 30. Accordingly, a rearward pulling force exerted on the trigger 6 will slide the plates |8 and 2| rearwardly, whereby to exert a pulling force on the cord 33 to actuate the shutter of the camera.

Asthe pin-locked plates l8 and 2| move rearwardly, the pin 28 will travel rearwardly in the tracks 31 and out at the rear ends thereof and the spring 29 will pull the pin downwardly out of the slots 26 and 21 and the pin will drop onto the yoke 35. lhe plates l8 and 2| will thus be released from each other so that a subsequent pulling of the trigger 6 will not effect the actuation of the shutter of the camera so that a second exposure of the film is thus prevented.

When another picture is to be taken, the film spool is wound by the drums 44 and 4? to bring another portion of the film into position for exposure and the yoke 35 is then moved upwardly to move the locking pin 28 into its uppermost position in the slots 26 and 21 where it is held in such position by the springs 30. Accordingly, the next picture will be taken when the trigger 6 is again pulled. In this connection, it is noted that the restoration of the locking pin 28 is readily effected by pushing the locking pin upwardly against the pair of springs 3|) until the latter are suificiently flexed upwardly so that their end portions react and snap under the locking pin, this effect being accomplishable because of a slight excess elongation of the upper end portions of the slots 26 and 21, as indicated in Figure 2.

If it is desired to take a picture without firing the firearm, the front pin in of the trigger is removed and the lower section 9 of the trigger may then be moved rearwardly without actuating the upper section 8 of the trigger to cause a firing of the firearm.

It is believed that the details of construction, manner of use and advantage of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention that the same is susceptible of certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination, a firearm including a trigger, a camera carried by the firearm, and specially provided means operatively connecting the camera to the trigger for operating the camera upon a pulling movement of the trigger to fire the firearm said connecting means including a pair of longitudinally separable members and a releasable locking member for selectively connecting the separable members to each other and automatically released therefrom to break the connection between the camera and trigger upon the completion of the firing action of the trigger.

2. In combination, a firearm including a trigger, a camera carried by the firearm, and a specially provided releasable connection between the camera and the trigger and including a disconnectible locking element to operate the camera upon a firing movement of the trigger, said connection including means for automatically disconnecting said locking element and thus breaking the connection upon completion of the firing action.

3. In combination, a firearm including a trigger, a camera carried by the firearm, a specially provided operative connection between the camera and the trigger to operate the camera upon a firing movement of the trigger and including a elated provision for automatically releasing the members upon completion of the firing action.

4. In combination, a firearm including a sectional trigger composed of upper and lower pivotally connected sections, means releasably connecting the sections for movement as a unit to effect a firing of the firearm and. adapted upon release of the connecting means to provide for free pivotal movement of said lower section to render the trigger ineffective to fire the firearm, a camera mounted operably 0n the firearm, and means operatively connecting the lower section of the trigger to the camera for operating the latter either simultaneously with the firing operation of the firearm or independently of the firing operation.

5. In combination, a firearm including a sectional trigger composed of upper and lower pivotally connected sections, means releasably connecting the sections for movement as a unit to effect a firing of the firearm and adapted upon release of the connecting means to provide for free pivotal movement of said lower section to render the trigger ineffective to fire the firearm, a camera mounted operably on the firearm, means operatively connecting the lower section of the trigger to the camera for operating the latter either simultaneously with the firing operation of the firearm or independently of the firing operation, said connecting means including a normally set locking pin which is automatically released from its locking position upon each camera operating actuation of the lower trigger section, and manually operable means for restoring the locking pin into its locking position.

6. In combination, a firearm including a trigger, a camera carried by the firearm, an operative connection between the camera and the trigger to operate the camera upon a firing movement of the trigger, said connection including a pair of longitudinally overlapping and relatively movable plates having transversely aligned slots in their lower edges, a transverse locking pin releasably retained supportedly in an elevated position in said slots to connect the plates to each other and against independent relative longitudinal movement, means for automatically releasing said locking pin so that it drops from the transversely aligned slots in said plates to release the plates upon completion of the firing action so as to render the connection to the camera inoperative upon a subsequent firing movement of the trigger, and means in said housing for receiving said locking pin upon being released from its locking position with the aligned slots in said plates and operable to return said pin into looking position with the latter named slots.

CHARLES O. PALMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,190,000 Pfander July 4, 1916 791,800 Laur June 6, 1905 2,144,909 Atkin et al Jan. 24, 1939 1,960,998 Hindley et a1 May 29, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 663,289 German Aug. 3, 1938 

